Name: Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 can (400 g/15 oz) crushed tomatoes; 1 small jar (280 g/10 oz) roasted bell peppers, liquid drained; 250 ml/1 cup chicken broth; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 6 tbsp olive oil, divided; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 eggplant, sliced into small cubes; 200 g/7 oz orzo; salt + black pepper, to taste; 1 tsp each: smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, chili flakes; 150 g/5 oz grated mozzarella; fresh thyme, for sprinkling; 3 tbsp breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp milk; 500 g/1.1 pounds ground beef; 1 garlic clove, minced or grated; 1 egg; 3 tbsp ricotta or heavy cream; 1 tsp each: smoked paprika, dried oregano, cumin

Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce. These could probably be the best meatballs & pasta you’ll ever make. There’re so many hidden layers of flavors in this dish. The meatballs are tender but firm, made with ground beef and ricotta. Then drenched in a rich eggplant & roasted bell pepper tomato sauce together with the orzo. Good news! You only need one pan to cook the entire dish.

Why You’ll Love It

To nail this dish, we add ricotta and softened bread crumbs to the meat. This way the meatballs will never come out dry and you’ll get a softer, but still toothsome meatball. We mix them with our hands, but be sure you don’t over mix. The shorter you mix and form the balls, the lighter they will be. If you overwork the meatballs, they’ll get tough.
When all the meatballs are formed, we brown them in olive oil, then transfer to a plate and throw the chopped shallot and garlic into the pan. Let them sweat a bit, then add the eggplant. It will add a nice texture and flavor to the sauce without dominating it too much.

Now we also add orzo, and pour in the tomato sauce mixed with roasted bell peppers, some tomato paste and chicken broth. The roasted bell peppers are a must. I used a jar, so no effort, but this is what makes the sauce taste so delicious. It adds a subtle sweetness you can’t get with any other ingredient. The tomato paste gives the sauce a perfect concentrated flavor together with the crushed tomatoes so you’ll have a rich and a pretty smooth sauce. The depth of flavor it adds is almost like you’ve been letting it cook for hours.

We cook the orzo in that flavorful sauce, then transfer the meatballs back into the pan. As finishing touch, we add mozzarella and bake everything a couple of minutes in the oven. And there you have it…the best meatballs ever. Yep, and only one pan.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.

Helpful Tips

Can’t find orzo? Use any other tiny shaped pasta, or leave it out and serve this dish with spaghetti or some bread.
You can also swap the eggplant for grated zucchini.
Or make it without mozzarella. It’s all up to you.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Cooking Video

Yield: serves 4